Okay. This seems as good of a place as any to ask the stupid question I have to ask.

I live in South Eastern Wisconsin, so normally I just drive out to a place called Chesters Electronics in Kenosha, Wisconsin and pick up the capacitors I need there.

I've grown sick of driving there for a small bag of parts, and paying their mark up. A lot of the parts they have handed out lately are NOS caps that are 30 plus years old. I'm sick of paying their mark-up on these little parts as well.

Where are good sites online I can go to, and order capacitors en mass? I'd like to be able to buy little kits of common values in those yellow ones I see so much lately. I've seen people selling them like that, I just forget where.

I'd also like to be able to go though and just buy 5+ of other values I think I will need so I can just stock my self up on caps, so I can just sit down at the bench and go nuts.

I'm going to attend an antique radio meet this coming Sunday in Milwaukee, Supposedly there is someone there that sells capacitors and such so I plan to raid his table and walk out with a healthy start on caps.

I just need a reliable place I can order from online.

Digikey, Mouser, Newark...

Capacitorworld

For common stock values, you just can't beat www.capacitorworld.net

For any of the specialty caps or anything rated 1 kV or over, I always use www.mouser.com .

For adjustable wirewound resistors or the ASC series high voltage deflection caps for 7" electrostats, there's www.alliedelec.com

There's usually a cap vendor at the swap meet, a a good place to stock up on common values. There are also a couple of online vendors that cater to the old radio hobby. The big vendors(mouser, digikey, allied) already mentioned are good too, although i find it a pain to sort through their massive sites to find the types I'm looking for.

My favorite vendor is Bob Bieker : http://radioantiques.com/ He only shows up at the Illinois meets, but if you can't wait for the next one you can order from him online or by phone.

I like his starter kits :http://radioantiques.com/supplies.html#capkits They give enough values to replace most tubulars in radio and TV applications for a decent price.

Some of Bob's lytics are a bit on the expensive side, so I've been thinking of finding better vendors online.

I don't trust Chester's lytics much.....I have a Heathkit C3 cap tester that can check for leakage at up to 450V, and my only lytic purchase from Chester's which was full of old stock caps had quite a number of caps that tested far enough from new to make me think twice about installing them.....

My favorite vendor is Bob Bieker : http://radioantiques.com/ He only shows up at the Illinois meets, but if you can't wait for the next one you can order from him online or by phone.
Bob (Piekarz) does attend some out of state meets, but I don't think he does enough business at WARCI to make it a regular event. He has good capacitor deals at the meets and on his website, and I'm always glad to recommend him. (photo from the ARCI site: http://www.antique-radios.org )

http://www.antique-radios.org/images/ARCI%20June%202015%2027%20%281024x681%29.jpg

There's just something about those yellow caps that I don't like. Not the performance, just the looks of them. To me, they just look....bleh :) . Since they're axial, I imagine they're ideal for restuffing jobs tho.

There's just something about those yellow caps that I don't like. Not the performance, just the looks of them. To me, they just look....bleh :) . Since they're axial, I imagine they're ideal for restuffing jobs tho.

+1, I use radials, Panasonics and Nichicons - ECQ series Panasonics+Free Shipping from Digi-Key=winner....

For common stock values, you just can't beat www.capacitorworld.net

For any of the specialty caps or anything rated 1 kV or over, I always use www.mouser.com .

For adjustable wirewound resistors or the ASC series high voltage deflection caps for 7" electrostats, there's www.alliedelec.com

I placed almost a 100 dollar order with Capacitor World today. I went with all the common values I could think of plus some not-so-common values as well.

Time to pick up some more of those little plastic sorting cabinets. I can finally get serious and have the parts sitting for me, on hand.

And for those of you who attend WARCI meets, I'm attending and selling for the first time tomorrow. Look for the guy in the old white 1980 Ford Courier.

I placed almost a 100 dollar order with Capacitor World today. I went with all the common values I could think of plus some not-so-common values as well.

My first experience with capacitor world went pretty much like yours...


:smoke: Hmm, I can get 10 each of all 30 values of 630V metal film, practically next day delivery, and I haven't yet even hit $70!


:scratch2: Ok, now let me figure out the 5 most common values from the parts lists for my pile of chosen projects. Ok, so for those 5 values I'll get an additional 25 pieces. Shopping cart says only $92.10!!!


:banana: This place rocks!


:naughty: Well, that should keep me stocked for the foreseeable future, now lets think about 'lytics... Well, if I'm stuffing cans, buying all 450V caps will inevitably end up with not being able to fit everything into the gutted can, so I'll get 5 each of the common values in 450V, and then drop down and score 3 each of the same values from the 250v section...


Shopping cart is now at $155, but its such a great value... Such a small price to pay to be secure in the knowledge that I'm very unlikely to be found wanting when it comes to recapping. :king:


:arrow: I'm just crazy enough to actually order 546 caps for an average cost of $0.28 shipped though.


:pistols: ..."And pull de effing trigger till it goes.... click." Order placed!




The next morning in a warehouse somewhere in NJ:



Yo! Frankie! We got another nutter last night. :deal: Hope you have fun picking and bagging some from every damned bin in the film area!


:dammit: Where the hell do these guys come from, and what evil deeds are they doing that they need some of everything?



Meanwhile, in central PA:



:boring: Huh. I really did order a buttload of caps last night, it wasn't a dream after all... Welp, "bought the ticket, take the ride" seems to apply. :withstpd:



Time passes, and so does a postal worker:



:bigok: Woohoo! Gimme gimme gimme!


:headscrat Damn, I hadn't considered how long it was going to take me to stash them in the parts-drawers for rapid accessibility.


:grumpy: Ahh, now I fully understand why all the ready-made capacitor assortment kits available are either really crap in overall number of different values, or cripplingly expensive compared to calculated component cost... :o




... Time to pick up some more of those little plastic sorting cabinets. I can finally get serious and have the parts sitting for me, on hand.

I got some very usable divided cases/cabinets after visiting Lowes, Home Depot, and Dick's Sporting Goods. If you have very few pieces of many different types, go for the type targeted at fishermen. If you have bulk quantities of many different things, go for the types aimed at contractors.

ALWAYS carefully examine and evaluate the closure/retention mechanism. If it doesn't close securely, it will play Brutus to your Caesar when you least expect it. Also pay attention to how well partitioned off the compartments are. If things can compartment hop with the lid fully closed you'll suffer much frustration and anger when you grab the wrong thing from the right location and it either explodes right away, or takes hours of troubleshooting to notice...

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-z8NUpPW5dwM/Vf5C1X7E-YI/AAAAAAAAPks/o-i9NzPJCEM/s400-Ic42/Cabinets.jpg

I get these at Home Depot. They're easy to hang on a wall, and sturdy enough.

Surprised no one mentioned Justradios.com for caps. It's worth taking a look at his assortment of capacitor and resistor kits. Only downside is that it can take a week for shipping from Canada.

:arrow: I'm just crazy enough to actually order 546 caps for an average cost of $0.28 shipped though....

Just curious, what brand are they? no mention on the website...

Mix of who knows. The filter caps are either Jiwy, Nichicon, or ChengCheng (?). Never had an issue with any of them.

I still prefer not knowing, to the look of the yellow Just Radios caps.

Mix of who knows. The filter caps are either Jiwy, Nichicon, or ChengCheng (?). Never had an issue with any of them.

I still prefer not knowing, to the look of the yellow Just Radios caps.

Thanks. His prices are better than what I'm seeing at Digikey for values above .1, so I may order a few .22 and .47s to give them a whirl. I've got about 70 or so of each left, so it'll be a while before I need any....

Mouser has special deals if you order quantity too.

Note the price drop on these .047/630V of quantities of 10 or more. Brings the price down from 47 cents to 25 cents.

http://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Panasonic/ECQ-E6473KF/?qs=sGAEpiMZZMsh%252b1woXyUXj97jN2gZ%2fjj10INUdl%2 ffji8%3d

There's just something about those yellow caps that I don't like. Not the performance, just the looks of them. To me, they just look....bleh :) . Since they're axial, I imagine they're ideal for restuffing jobs tho.


Boy, I agree with you. I cringe everytime I see the bottom of a chassis dotted with those yellow caps. I only use them for restuffing or other people's sets that I may service.
I also use the Panasonic caps that you mention in this thread. The price is very reasonable in quantitys of 10 or more.

Every time I see yellow caps I think, "a radio guy tried his hand at fixing a TV"

Every time I see yellow caps I think, "a radio guy tried his hand at fixing a TV"

I do agree they don't look the best but I do like the nice long lead lengths, I rarely have to add to them. They also are the cheapest price and when you stock as many as I do price does matter.

Gregb

Just under a quarter a piece for .047 uF 630V from Mouser if you order in quantities of 10 or more. I usually buy them 20 at a time.

http://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Panasonic/ECQ-E6473KF/?qs=sGAEpiMZZMsh%252b1woXyUXj97jN2gZ%2fjj10INUdl%2 ffji8%3d

That's not a bad price and I usually buy 100 at a time so will give them a try. How do the lead lengths compare to the yellows?

Gregb

Every time I see yellow caps I think, "a radio guy tried his hand at fixing a TV"

I started as a radio guy and still use the yellow caps. I'm sorta allergic to buying parts online. The cap dealer at the local meets still stocks the extra long lead yellows that have been starting to dry up.

As long as you don't need more than 630V the yellows work as good as anything else...I've been using them for close to 15 years (save for a few years in the middle where I lived away from my source of them) and never had a problem.

That's not a bad price and I usually buy 100 at a time so will give them a try. How do the lead lengths compare to the yellows?

Gregb

I just pulled them from my stock and they're 1 1/4" leads.

I started as a radio guy and still use the yellow caps. I'm sorta allergic to buying parts online. The cap dealer at the local meets still stocks the extra long lead yellows that have been starting to dry up.

As long as you don't need more than 630V the yellows work as good as anything else...I've been using them for close to 15 years (save for a few years in the middle where I lived away from my source of them) and never had a problem.

Just a difference in style preference is all. As they say, all roads lead to Rome :)

We have no brick and mortars around here that stock them, so online for me is the best and easiest way to go.

My only option is to order online, the local stocks dried up years ago. I have been using the yellows for at least 15 years or even more and have never had an issue with them. I have never had a repair come back with a bad cap either.

Gregb

My problem with the yellow caps, in all early vintage equipment, is that the bright yellow looks out of place. It looks modern. I really don't like seeing orange drops either.
I have been using the same Panasonic capacitors that Kamakiri uses and I love them.

I placed an order for a bunch of the Panasonics and will give them a try. Buying them 100 at a time the price is very reasonable.

Gregb

Just a reminder - Digi-Key sells Panasonics, and they offer free shipping on prepaid orders.

Really.....free shipping? I might give them a try. I haven't used Digi-Key in years.

I placed an order for a bunch of the Panasonics and will give them a try. Buying them 100 at a time the price is very reasonable.

Gregb

First thought was, man, the guy uses THAT many?? But then I look back and remember how many times I've ordered them in quantities of 20. I've had 12 orders with Mouser this year and probably close to that many with Capacitor World. Maybe it's time to bulk up on my orders.

Yeah, just placed my order a couple of days ago for a full restock of the panasonics. I spent over $300, and I only got .01 and .05 in a 100 quantity. It adds up fast.
The Panasonic ECQ series that I use are cheaper than the yellow axial caps, from any source, in quantities of 20 or more.

Keep in mind if you order the ECQ series of capacitors that these are available in several types of leads, some which are crimped and ready for PCB insertion. Always choose one with an ending 2 letters of KF for 10% tolerance or JF for 5% tolerance (which you don't need). The KF and JF have the long plain leads. If it has a number after the above suffix, keep away from them.

Also, some complain that these don't have the reach of the yellow axial caps. I find that often you can find a ground point closer to the original for bypass applications. Some have complained about "lead dress". That seems like hogwash to me for bypass applications as I have never had an issue when doing so. Others have done the same, with no problems resulting.

Just a reminder - Digi-Key sells Panasonics, and they offer free shipping on prepaid orders.

Digi-key is more money across the board. I just checked their prices vs Mouser. One example is I just paid $17.60 for a bag of 100 .047uF Panasonics. Digi-key wants $21.57 for the same part number in 100 quantity.

My $300 order from Mouser would probably have been $50 higher with Digi-key. I paid Mouser $6.99 for USPS Priority shipping with delivery confirmation. I could have gotten USPS Parcel Select from Mouser for $4.99.

I do lots of restorations for other folks and can safely say I go through thousands of caps a year. I use 3-4 rolls of solder a year!
I order most of my stuff from Digikey and for Canada its free shipping on orders over $200 and it arrives next day.

Gregb

Keep in mind if you order the ECQ series of capacitors that these are available in several types of leads, some which are crimped and ready for PCB insertion. Always choose one with an ending 2 letters of KF for 10% tolerance or JF for 5% tolerance (which you don't need). The KF and JF have the long plain leads. If it has a number after the above suffix, keep away from them.



The J (5%) and K (10%) are the only tolerance letters - the "F" is for the RoHS lead-free designation.

Mouser is cheaper on some Panasonics, but I order far more than film caps from Digi-Key, so the difference is insignificant with most of my orders.
My last Mouser order was in March, and they charged 14.40 in Priority shipping. Parcel Select orders from mouser take 11 days for me.

I've paid Digi-Key less than half that in 40+ orders over the years. Big savings for me....